IAAF World athletics Championships Doha 2019: Sifan Hassen Wins Women’s 10,000 m
Running in only her second 10,000m race, Sifan Hassan repelled all the opposition could throw at her to land her maiden world outdoor title in a barnstorming final.
The Dutch distance queen, who earlier this year set a world mile record, gave another demonstration of her astonishing versatility to destroy the brave Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey with a 61-second final lap to strike gold in a Dutch record 30:17.33.
Behind, Gidey delighted the vibrant and vociferous Ethiopian fans inside the Khalifa International Stadium to take a richly deserved silver having launched a brave winning bid for gold with four laps to go.
Agnes Tirop claimed a second successive world bronze as the podium dwellers all claimed personal best performances.
Yet this was Hassan’s night as the 26-year-old added 10,000m gold to her Wolrd Championship 1500m and 5000m bronze medals snared at the 2015 and 2017 editions, respectively.
The US-based Hassan, who made her 10,000m debut in Stanford in May recording 31:18.12, said: “I am very happy because I have been a middle distance runner and this was a test for me. It was okay at the beginning but then when they were kicking at the front I had to try hard to keep in touch. I know I am more of a 1500m and 5km runner, so if I could get close I would have enough to win. She (Gidey) kept trying to kick but in the last 800m I knew I had it.”
Hassan will decide with her coach whether to opt for the 1500m or the 5000m. Whichever event she enters she will be on odds on favourite for gold.
Read more at: IAAF.org
